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Texan billionaire Allen Stanford,
seeing himself as a West Indian, said: "We have a great product
- our cricket - a rich history and legacy. In October 2005 I am going
to make an announcement about something that is going to take place one
year from now and I truly believe the announcement will be part of the
re-emergence of cricket as a world-class, professional sport throughout
the region."

Date October 04, 2005 Compliments of the Nation
News
by Philip Spooner in Antigua

A West Indies dream team has been brought to board, with
Allen Stanford pushing the new Stanford 20/20 cricket project aimed at
re-energising the game in the region.

They will advise Stanford on matters related to the game
and how to implement player-friendly programmes.

Speaking
on behalf of the team yesterday, Lloyd, the former West Indies skipper,
said the legends were extremely pleased to endorse the ideas which are
aimed at improving the game in the region.

"This is a grand initiative," said Lloyd, who
led the West Indies from 1974 to 1985.

"One that not just seeks to preserve the rich history
of West Indies cricket, but is guaranteed to secure the future well into
the 21st century and beyond.

"Comprehensively, this initiative is potentially
the single greatest private sector investment in cricket since the Kerry
Packer revolution. Like Packer, Stanford has recognised that West Indies
cricket at its best has been under-valued and our players have long been
grossly underpaid. This is great vision, and the West Indies have a lot
to look forward to."

Sir
Garry, the greatest player in the history of the game, also endorsed the
new project, saying: "This is magnificent; what more can I say? I
am very pleased to be part of it. Let's hope our cricket will make the
leap forward from here."

The board met with Stanford for the first time on Sunday
night and most said they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the investment.

"These are the men I will be listening to
for advice and guidance," Stanford said yesterday at the
tournament launch. "They are the ones who brought glory to
the region and the world and they deserve to be part of any project to
revive the game."

He said the logistics of the tournament would be handled
by the board, which would also deal with any team issues and manage the
technical aspects of the competition, including the rules and regulations.